Satya

2) Niyamas

Santosha

Swadhyaya

Saucha

Tapas

Ishvar-pranidhana

3) Asana

Asana are the physical postures. Yoga postures are used to balance the energy in your body and prepare the body and mind for meditation.

4) Dharana

Concentration exercises to focus and still the mind. The use of drishti, or specific eye focal point, is an example of the practice of dharana.

5) Dhyana

Meditation is an example of dhyana, or exercises that give experiences of absorption or dissolution.

6) Pranayama

Pranayama are breath exercises to control or enhance prana (life force) for increased vitality, breath retention or extension, and chanting.

7) Pratyahara

Pratyahara is an exercise that generates a strong sense of introversion or withdrawal of the senses. We experience this during Shivasana at the end of class. First there is a physical letting go (muscles relaxing, physiological quieting). This is followed by experiencing the mental space of being aware of what is going on around you but simultaneously being seperate.

8) Samadhi

This is the state of nonduality that we are hoping to achieve. Merging the higher self with the infinite through deep meditation where the seer and seen are one.

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Learn to use your breath to relax your pelvic floor with this Breath Cues Guide